<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-size: 24px;color: #000000;font-family: Times New Roman;">
<STYLE>body{font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,sans-serif;background-color:#ffffff;color:black;}p{margin:0px;}</STYLE>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 11.00.9600.18057">
<P>I have subscribed to Money Talks News since one of our local Gainesville television stations used to carry Stacey Johnson's Money Talks tips. I am not endorsing, but merely offering this information in case someone might find it helpful. Passing on the contributed article from 2014 regarding tips on writing a cover letter when submitting a resume to a prospective employer. Hope you find it helpful if you are looking or plan to look for employment.</P>
<P>7 Tips for Writing a Winning Cover Letter</P>
<P><BR>Few things we write have as much potential value as a well-crafted cover letter. If you’re in the job market now or plan to be, here are seven tips to take </P>
<P>your cover letter from tired to hired. </P>
<P>By Kentin Waits on February 27, 2014 </P>
<P>If you’ve ever written a cover letter, you’re likely familiar with the pressure of trying to present yourself as the most professional, knowledgeable, </P>
<P>qualified candidate in what will surely be a sea of competition.</P>
<P>Cover letters challenge our skill in not only composition, but in self-reflection, and writing a good one can seem like a maddening task. But by following a </P>
<P>few fundamental rules and focusing on just a handful of key elements, you can make your letter (and by association, yourself) shine.</P>
<P>1. Remember, brevity wins</P>
<P>Often, in our eagerness to showcase our experience, skills and enthusiasm, we become long-winded. Avoid the temptation to expound upon every last detail that </P>
<P>demonstrates how you’re the perfect fit for a particular job.</P>
<P>Instead, be brief. Seriously, two or three paragraphs are all that’s needed. Recruiters and hiring managers are ruthless skimmers, and verbose cover letters </P>
<P>only communicate that you have no idea how their world works.</P>
<P>The main goals of a well-crafted letter are simple:<BR>•Express interest in the company.<BR>•Provide a potential employer with a quick overview of why you’re a plausible candidate.<BR>•Demonstrate that you possess basic professional writing skills.</P>
<P>2. Display nuggets of knowledge</P>
<P>Understand your audience and write for the particular company you’re applying to. Again, with brevity in mind, let your reader know that you’ve done your </P>
<P>research.</P>
<P>For example, you know the firm has recently made an acquisition, is preparing for an IPO, or just expanded to support a new product line.</P>
<P>Bits of relevant information help make your letter stand out from the rest.</P>
<P>3. Keywords are key</P>
<P>It seems like the world is driven by keywords. Without littering your cover letter with jargon, include keywords in the natural flow of your writing.</P>
<P>Again, since most hiring managers and professional recruiters skim applicant material quickly, keywords can help you get noticed. And since many firms now </P>
<P>filter resumes by keyword, getting in the habit of integrating them effectively can only benefit your job search.</P>
<P>4. Connect the dots</P>
<P>Cover letters exist simply as a means of introduction — a way for applicants to connect their experience and skills to the requirements of a position and </P>
<P>thereby spark just enough interest to land an interview.</P>
<P>It’s important to make these connections explicit for the reader, especially if your qualifications may not be immediately clear. Briefly and concisely </P>
<P>explain how what you’ve done in the past makes you uniquely qualified and immediately valuable.</P>
<P>5. Show yourself</P>
<P>Within the bounds of professionalism, it’s perfectly fine to convey a bit of personality in your cover letter. Without being too informal, write the way you </P>
<P>speak, add a bit of humor, or include a relevant quote.</P>
<P>Readers often depend on the tone of a cover letter to determine if an applicant will click culturally. Plus, being able to write with a bit of personal flair </P>
<P>shows a degree of skill and confidence.</P>
<P>6. Talk about the twists</P>
<P>Sometimes landing a new job means there are logistical challenges to overcome. Acknowledge your willingness to relocate or deal with a long commute. Or, if </P>
<P>you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, explain what you’ve been up to professionally and how you’ve kept your skills sharp and qualifications top-</P>
<P>notch.</P>
<P>Addressing these issues head-on prevents negative assumptions and may help keep your resume in play.</P>
<P>7. Proofread obsessively</P>
<P>I believe it was Dr. Seuss who said, “Proofread standing on your head. Proofread sitting down. Proofread in the country. Proofread all over town.” It’s so </P>
<P>true. Proofing and editing what you’ve written is absolutely essential.</P>
<P>Don’t underestimate the critical eyes that will be reading what you’ve written. Check for misplaced commas, incorrect titles, missing words, the wrong date — </P>
<P>anything that could flag your cover letter as less than perfect. If you don’t trust your own proofing skills, ask a friend to lend a second set of eyes.</P>
<P>In the end, cover letters and resumes serve as our professional calling cards. They synthesize everything we’ve done professionally and, when done well, </P>
<P>communicate the highlights in mere seconds.</P>
<P>Without putting too fine a point on it, in a tight job market cover letters can represent the most valuable piece of writing we’ll ever compose. It gets our </P>
<P>foot in the door, gets eyeballs on our resume, gets us an in-person interview, and (with a little luck) results in a job offer.</P>
<P>With that in mind, maybe it’s time to revamp our approach and spit shine these documents that are so important to our futures. Oh … and don’t forget to </P>
<P>proofread like crazy.<BR></P>
<P><BR> </P></div></body></html>